India
Indian Administrative Structure
Basics
• Over 1 Billion people
• Opening to the world economically
since 1991
• Importance of the US-Indian-Chinese
relationship in the future
Paradox One
• Largest democracy in the World
• But…
– Economic inequality
– Social inequality (due to lingering
Hindu caste system)
Paradox Two
• Religion: 80% Hindu
• But… a national ideology of separation
of church and state…
• But the Bharatiya Janata and “Hindu
nationalism” or Hindutva
Prime Minister 2004-2014
• Manmohan Singh
• The first Sikh PM
• From Congress Party
Leader of Congress Party
• Sonja Gandhi
• Roman Catholic
• Born in Italy
Three Presidents of India
First “Untouchable” Pres.
First Muslim Pres.
First Woman Pres.
2007-2012
Paradox Three
• East Asian Model: Authoritarian and
capitalist
• India: Democratic with a socialist
economy (until 1991 when economic
reforms began)
Paradox Four: The Economy
• High Tech and massive poverty
Bangalore
India’s Silicon Valley
Slums of any city
Paradox Five: Diversity
• 80% Hindu, but…
• 22 Official languages now
• Over 140 million Muslims (the
nation in the world with the
third largest Muslim
population)
Paradox Six:
National vs. Regional Parties
• Two major national parties:
– Congress Party
– BJP
– Also, minor party: Communist Party
Marxist
• 2009: 35 regional parties in Parliament
• Lok Sabha Party-wise
Political Culture
1.
2.
3.
4.
Geography
Agrarian economy
Population
Religion
1.
2.
3.
4.
Hindu: 81%
Muslim: 13%
Christian 2.3%
Sikh: 1.9%
Hindu Caste System
1. Priests – Brahmins
2. Warriors – Kahtriyas
3. Landowners/merchants – Vaishyas
4. Small Farmers – Sudras
Outcastes, sub-castes, backward tribes,
and “Untouchables” or Dalits or
Harijans
Bhimrao Ambedkar
Mauryan Dynasty, 321-185 BC
Gupta Dynasty, 320-413 AD
Mughal Dynasty, 1529-1707
British Colonialism
Amritsar Massacre, April 1919
Eduard Thony painting
Indian National Congress
Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohandas Gandhi
Gandhi’s Impact on the INC
• Extremists vs.
moderates
• Ending factional
struggle
• Mass movement
• Non-violence
– Gandhi’s writings
• Independence
Now
Muslim League
Mohammed Ali Jinnah
Independence and partition
Kashmir
UNMOGIP
Government Structure
• Indian Constitution
• President
• Parliament
– Rajya Sabha
– Lok Sabha
• Prime Minister
Parliamentary Process for PM
PM and House
serve full term
Party
wins
majority
General
election
of Lower
House
House
elects
PM
No party wins
majority
PM dies or
resigns
No Confidence
motion
fails
passes
Parties negotiate
to form coalition
(50% of seats, plus one)
PM dissolves
House
The Process (in theory)
PM and House
serve full term
Party
wins
majority
General
election
of Lower
House
House
elects
PM
PM dies or
resigns
Coalition Formation and Choosing PM
PM and House
serve full term
Party
wins
majority
General
election
of Lower
House
House
elects
PM
No party wins
majority
Parties negotiate
to form coalition
(50% of seats, plus one)
PM dies or
resigns
No Confidence Motion
PM and House
serve full term
Party
wins
majority
General
election
of Lower
House
House
elects
PM
No party wins
majority
PM dies or
resigns
No Confidence
motion
fails
passes
Parties negotiate
to form coalition
(50% of seats, plus one)
PM Dissolves Lower House
PM and House
serve full term
Party
wins
majority
General
election
of Lower
House
House
elects
PM
No party wins
majority
PM dies or
resigns
No Confidence
motion
fails
passes
Parties negotiate
to form coalition
(50% of seats, plus one)
PM dissolves
House
1996 Election
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
• Congress Party
• National Front
160
136
110
• National Front forms government
Nehru Dynasty
Jawaharlal Nehru
1947-1964
Indira Gandhi
1966-1977
1980-1984
Rajiv Gandhi
1984-1989
Congress Party
Manmohan Singh
PM
Sonja Gandhi
President
of the Party
Rahul Gandhi
General Secretary
(one of nine)
Congress’ Ideology
•
•
•
•
Secularism
Socialist economics 1947-1991
Economic Reform 1991-present
Manifesto for 2009 elections
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
• Hindutva (Hindu
Nationalism)
• RSS (Rashtriya
Swayamsevak
Sangh)
1984
2
1989
88
1991
120
1996
160
1998
176
1999
182
Others
• Leftist parties
– Communist Party of India (Marxist)
• Regional parties
– AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra
Kazhigam) regional party of Tamil Nadu
state
– Janata Dal (Secular) (Karnataka, Kerala)
– Telugu Desam Party (Andrha Pradesh)
– Samajwadi Party (Uttar Pradesh)
• Caste-based Parties
– Bahujan Samaj Party